Los Luceros
by Dark Closure
Summary: Axl is having disturbing nightmares, and strange happenings occur around him. When he, X, and Zero are sent on vacation with two friends they will discover a dark secret that not even Axl knew he had. Revised version of my 2002 forum fic R
1. Chapter 1

Los Luceros

Revised

Chapter 1

The thick air of the storm seemed to snuff out the oxygen making it hard to breath. His green eyes trailed the winding road that snaked and coiled up and around the hills, traveling toward a house that resembled more of a shack upon a shack in its crooked state. The wood of the pyres and windows bent and creaked, the sounds of their moans traveling down to his ears, though he seemed to be a mile away. Blackened sky, murmured secrets as a flash of lightening grinned down upon him. The brightness of the cutting light caused him to hold up a hand to shield his eyes. Taking the risk, he opened them back up only to see some sort of animal dancing off in the distance, several feet away from the doorway of the house. It was up on its hind legs, hopping and skipping in place, its front legs stretched and cracked with the thunder as fingers came from toes; its face hidden behind a tattered, black, old top hat. Lightening split the sky, in its wake the creature had moved, it was now closer, half way between himself and the twisted home that had a yawning door. The subtle laughter the odd being had trickled like muted rain. The feet, an odd combination of hoof and paw, continued to pick up and bob to an invisible melody that squelched in the very air. The thin rattish tail lashed to a merry frolic, the tufted of hair at the end seemed to flex from smooth to bristled on its own volition. The blue vest on the white fur wrinkled in the wind of the storm.

An unfamiliar feeling started arise, it shrunk away, whimpered and tugged. He wanted to turn and run, get away from the strange creature that "la"ed and "da"ed. His very being desired for his hasty retreat, but he couldn't move. His eyes were fixated, they couldn't move from the dance and the house, he couldn't make himself move no matter how loudly he screamed in his mind. He couldn't...

The lightening flashed once more, his heart stopping as hot breath washed over his nose and mouth -all he could see were two eyes, a sickly yellow where a healthy white should be; blue, like a new born's eyes, no definitive color, where pupil and iris once shined. A white nose pressed against his as a shrill, gravel like voice started to hiss out a word only to be broken free from his trance from a calling voice.

"Axl!" X shook the boy from his slumber.

Startled green eyes locked onto the ceiling, not willing to move as his chest took in greedy amounts of air. A droplet of liquid ran down the criss-crossed scar that adorned his face, telling him that he was sweating as his body shivered from cold. All of it was a dream, a simple dream... a terrifying dream.

"You okay, kid?" hazel eyes focused with concern. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Closing his eyes, he only found a dancing creature to meet him, quickly opening them back up he looked at his companion, who occupied the quarters next to his own. He didn't know what to say, it was unlike him to get nightmares, he had only one once before when he was still considered a child, or at least that was what Red had called him. Now that he was an adult, a Maverick Hunter, it seemed peculiar to say the least. Yet he had no words to explain, they chocked in his throat when he tried to open his mouth to talk about it to his trusted friend. It was like his body was freezing up on its own, keeping quiet and huddling secrets to itself.

X gave a small smile and turned away from the boy, "That bad huh? Just remember it's only a dream, you should try to go back to sleep mode, your shift is still several hours away."

The azure reploid stood up only to have his wrist taken a hold of. With a confused frown, he looked down, Axl's grip was almost to the point of being painful as he shook. The boy's lively green eyes were half open as his face was mostly buried in his pillow, as if the soft object would muffle out those eyes that "la"ed and "da"ed even in his waking mind.

"Okay, come on, let's go to the mess hall."

Axl slowly pulled himself out of his bed, his grip loosening and releasing his superior. He seemed happy to be out in the bright hallway, not caring that he looked like he survived a hurricane. A reassuring hand was placed on the back of his head as the two started to walk down the hallway, the soft pitter patter of X's bare feet compared to his heavy foot falls made it feel like he was walking next to a cat.

"You'll feel better after you get something to eat," X offered a brotherly smile.

  
A week later...  


Pale fingers glided over ivory keys pushing down only a few in a haunting melody. A curtain blew open in the midnight breeze, the silver light of the moon fled into the room that was covered with dust, the piano with its keys covered and locked. The melody continued on, not disturbed by the logic that it could not happen with out someone sitting at the seat that was faded and hard over the years. His eyes trailed down the carpet that promised to be bright and colorful followed restoration. Stretched upon it, the silhouette of fingers playing, ears listening to the sad song that promised nothing. When the curtain settled the silhouette twisted and pulled into the shadows that decorated the room in tapestries of darkness and unknown realms. Slow careful steps took him to the window, his hands took a gentle, shaking, curious hold on the fabric that was heavy with its own decay. Pulling it to the side, tenderly, slowly, allowing the moon to come back into the room that welcomed the light that freed it from to many years of dwelling. All in an instant the music was gone, the room was left silent only to creak as if to whisper a hidden secret with in its walls. The gentle breeze from the window, pushed at his soft hair, moving it in front of his eyes. Laughter, snickering like a snake, hissing out of lungs that were never meant to breath; floated in from the courtyard. Green eyes were pulled to look out the dirty glass that was barely cracked, out upon the hill, far in the distance, the animal was on its hind legs. A hoof-paw stepped back as the creature tipped his hat in a bow, as if to start a show. With a clip and a clop, the feet started to dance in place, the laughter in in his ear as breath breathed down his neck even though he was alone. The piano began to play as the shadows around him weaved and waved as if dancing with the creature that was no longer there. The music continued to play, the melody no longer sad, but haunting in a promise to be caught by clutches that snickered and snacked. The sudden slap of a hand rattled the glass he was standing next to, startling him out of his sleep.

His eyes fixated on the ceiling once again as his body shuddered for a reason he could not explain. The creature that was twisted and knurled, placed an unknown fear in him. Its laughter still echoing in his waking ears as the shadows of his room danced with the melody of his dreams. His heart beat fast in his head, trying to drown out all other sounds. Pushing his blanket to the side he regretted not settling in the recharger and opting for sleeping like a human once again. It seemed to him that after the first few nightmares he would have learned, but something told him that even if he had just gone into the pod like device in that desolate lounge where hunters gather for only a few short hours, it would not be any different. The dreams would continue, that thing would continue to dance and the piano would play, the shadows would dance while the house tried to scream out hidden ways.

Getting up he ignored the fact he needed to place on his armor as he quickly strode to his door. His hand came up to the panel to the side, stopping as a laughter struck his ears. It was an odd laughter, like an old man that was dark in his ways yet... Yet something in the tune of it made him believe that there was intelligence, too much intelligence.

With a push of a button the door unlocked and slid open, he was hoping to catch a glimpse of whom had made the intriguing sound only to see a fellow hunter. A female that was best left alone, her long, puffy, deep brown hair a flag announcing who she was. She had her helmet tucked under an arm as she stopped to look at the boy that was a relatively good acquaintance. The purple and yellow stripe down her cheeks crisscrossed in color.

"Hey kid, you look like hell," she placed a free hand on her black and yellow hip, sporting damage that sparked in the air as if it was nothing at all.

"Don't call me ki-... You should go to the repair lab, Rhythm."

"Just heading there," she jerked her head to the side. "Come with me."

He nodded as he stepped out of his room, he stopped at the sight of a man at the end of the hallway, his gray hair rimming the bald top, the wild mustache flaring out as he leaned against a cane that had a skull for a grip. It was him that had laughed, or... so Axl believed. But when he blinked, the old man was gone.

"I'm gonna leave you behind if you just stand there."

The redhead quickly ran up to walk along side the woman, their height about the same, "Sorry, just thought I saw someone."

"Oh?"

"Just my eyes playing tricks on me."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"Because people can't just appear and disappear."

Rhythm paused for a moment to look at the young hunter, "You say that with such confidence. You do realize that it was humans that first developed teleporting devices, right?"

"And you say that as if you knew those people personally."

She only gave a smile and kept walking, the crooked 'W' on her right shoulder finally in sight now that her armor was off. He... didn't like that look. She only got it when she knew something you didn't and that was never good. Actually, more like, it was never any fun. Axl fell behind. There was still that strange air about, that oddity that made the body squirm involuntarily. It was disturbing to him. He rubbed his arm in an attempt to get rid of the feeling of his skin crawling. Odd whispers of wind started to push past his skin, combing through his hair. His mind drifted as the strangest thought occurred to him; he would never be alone.

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Los Luceros

Revised

Chapter 2

Soldjermon, the commander of the 01st unit; beautiful with her bubbly personality and bright yellow armor. She was kind of an experiment -no one knows the details- but she was designed after Zero when Dr. Cain had made a copy of his schismatic. To say the least, he couldn't duplicate the red hunter, he was too complicated so he went with what he knew and made a girl that was slightly shorter, and gave her golden eagle wings. In short, Soldjer, was a mini-female Zero that was the heart throb of almost every male hunter out there.

Rhythm, she was more of an enigma that preferred to stay in the shadows. She was given command of the 10th unit only to be relieved of her position and disappeared for several years. No one knows what had happened to her in that particular stint of time, but when she came back she had must have been in a very good mood because she willingly hugged X and Zero with a broken old, red helmet with a white crest tucked under her arm. Ever since then she was placed in what everyone called the "Jack of Suicide" team. Their duties were mostly confidential, though everyone knew they were the first to infiltrate enemy bases, gather information other wises regarded as impossible to obtain, and test newly developed technology that had a high variable of the operator dying.

These two women were best friends even though they were practically polar opposites. When hanging together hunters knew that it was okay to approach Rhythm and actually try to strike up a conversation with out fearing for what would happen to them. That was why Douglas decided now would be a great time to talk to the brunet as she slowly sipped a cup of hazel-nut coffee as Soldjer told jokes that cracked a smile on the woman's face; something rare indeed.

"Hey there!" he called out making his way across the small lounge over to the girls.

"Hey Douglas, wanna join us?" Soldjer grinned her happy smile at her good friend.

"Um," he looked over to the one who was still crested with her black horn and purple and yellow fins of a helmet. The tail of her armor -connected to her nervous system when equipped- slowly swished, she was in a good mood, "Sure." Taking a seat he watched as the claws on her purple and yellow arm guard flexed a little bit, tapping the ceramic cup in a mild warning not to ruin the moment. "H-how are you guys?"

"Not bad, I was just telling Rhythm about the time Signas pulled those April fools jokes on X and his buddies when she was gone."

"You mean the time where he glued X's helmet to his head, put rubber cement in Zero's shampoo, and used industrial conditioner on Axl's hair to make it flat?"

"Yep!"

"Priceless," Rhythm smiled into her cup.

"I've got pictures."

"Seriously?!" Soldjer's blue eyes glittered with glee.

"Yeah, but that's not why I'm here. Um, Rhythm, you think you could do something for the science and Development department?" The green reploid turned to the silent one, hazel eyes narrowed on him causing his pulse to quicken a beat.

"The V.T.P.?"

"That's the one, we think we perfected it but we need a test driver."

"Go stuff it up your-"

"Signas asked me to get you to do it."

She let out a growl, gulping down her coffee. Setting down her cup she got up, her purple tail pushing the chair in as she placed her hands on her black clad hips, "Let's get moving."

-----------------------

"What's a V.T.P.?" Axl asked as he walked along side X. They had been asked to supervise the test run for precaution reasons. It was well known the last time a member of the Jack of Suicide tried to help the Science and Development team where was more than just a small incident that resulted in drastic change of protocol for safety reasons.

X tapped a mall pass code into the panel that was beside the SnD main door, "It stands for Virtual Training Program. It's been in the works for several years."

"Sounds cool!" the redhead ducked into the room soon as the door opened.

The room itself wasn't all that big, it was possible that only five reploids could fit into the room in comfort, any more and they would be bumping into each other and equipment. Speaking of which, on wall was completely glass, lined with a large control panel with several different screens and more buttons and lights than you could count. Below the observation room you could see a very large, empty room that resembled more of a hanger than a testing room. Right in sight was a large pod-like device with large tubes and bunches of wires feeding into it.

X walked up to the lifesaver that was seated at the controls and placed a hand on his shoulder while leaning down to the mic, pressing the button to communicate to the room down below. Rhythm was there with a group of researchers who were filling her in small details as they took her helmet and handed her strange device to place over hear head that would block all visual and audio receptors while she was in the pod.

"Which of the stand-bys do you want down there?" he asked simply, wanting Douglas' opinion since he was head of the project.

"Don't matter to me," he shouted up with a wave of his hand.

"I'll go down," Axl quickly went to the lift elevator in the corner of the room.

When he was lowering down to the room below their third companion walked in with a small yawn cutting his features, "Has it started yet?"

"Not yet," X straightened out.

Zero's eyebrow lifted as he watched Rhythm climb into the pod, he pressed the call button and spoke into the mic, "I didn't think it was possible to see you with out your helmet."

"Zero, I won't bother in killing you, I'll just send you straight to hell!" The brunet grabbed her helmet out of the researcher's hands and chucked it at the protective glass, smacking it with a loud sound only to have it drop down where Axl caught it.

"Wow, that was amazingly gentle," Zero blinked.

"She must be in a real good mood," Axl yelled up with a big smile.

"Shut it!" Rhythm hissed as she shoved the deprivation helmet on her head and leaned back, "Let's get this over with."

"So how will this work?" Zero asked as he watched Douglas and the rest of his team raising up in the lift.

"Simple enough," the green reploid approached the console, taking a seat as his fellow teammates went to their stations. He flipped on the intercom system that fed into the room and the helmet that Rhythm wore so he could explain everything at once, "The V.T.P. is designed to feed into your nervous system via the helmet. If you get hit, you'll feel it as if you really have been hit except you will not have the physical damage. When a death blow is dealt the helmet is designed to automatically cut off pain censors and the simulation will terminate function. Further more, we control difficulty level as well as manual release, if anything malfunctions we can terminate the exercise from up here. Now, you ready?"

"Let's go," Rhythm's voice came through the intercom.

"Level difficulty 1, feed sensory 10 percent, we'll raise feed sensory in each level, that way you're not over whelmed. Test will commence in 5. 4. 3. 2. 1 - V.T.P. test start."

Several of the levels passed easily, the readings were promising and in under an hour they were over 70 percent sensory feed. Being programmed to reach a max of 300 percent they sat back and just waited, so far everything was okay. Axl found a seat set out and sat down, harms folded and legs crossed as he tried to get comfortable. He didn't see why a stand-by was needed. It wasn't like the wires would come to life and start destroying everything while leeching off of the operator's life force. But anything was better than going back to sleep, he was tired of having nightmares, especially when they started to escalating to human mutilation. He's never seen something like that before, he's only met a very few amount of humans and never a injured let alone a dead one. It was just... gross, it was disturbing enough that he didn't want to sleep anymore. But as he sat there, with nothing better to do, his eyes started to grow heavy. Sleep pulled at the corner of his mind like a gentle wind lulling him. His head started to nod and soon, all the long nights of staying up with nothing more than the company of a few books and possibly a friend here and there, it all caught up to him, and he fell promptly asleep.

"She's up to 230 percent," a Lifesaver recorded the readings as they placed her into an other level.

"That's good to know. Once she gets to 300 we can call it successful," Douglas scratched his nose as he looked over some print outs.

"Hn?"

"What is it Zero?" X looked over to his friend as the blond leaned forward in his sleep.

"It could be just me but... does something seem off to you?"

"What do you mean?"

The red hunter stood up, moving forward in the room, "Dim the lights, it's hard to see in there."

Someone complied, the dark testing room coming into a better view, the dark red lights inside the pod bringing the person inside into visual. Blue eyes squinted, Rhythm was... sweating.

"Spike!"

Everyone turned to the researcher that nearly shouted this.

"So she got hit, record the data. Event he great mysterious Rhythm take a lump or two," Douglas waved a hand.

"No, I mean, this is a bad hit."

"So?"

Zero watched Rhythm's body arch, her mouth open wide, "Something's really wrong, terminate!"

"But-"

The researcher before jumped out of her seat, "Another spike!"

"Terminate! Where the hell is the audio," Zero shoved the Lifesaver to the side finding the right switch to press.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! NO!" Rhythm's panicked shout flooded the room.

"TERMINATE NOW!" X shouted as the woman's body lurched once more.

"Controls are not responding! She's received a death blow!"

"The helmet should have ceased pain receptors-"

"The helmet is not responding!"

"What's been struck?!"

"Readings indicate that the arms have been cut off! Strain is on the neck!"

"Manual termination NOW!"

"System is unresponsive! The stand-by will have to cut the power as the system reboots!"

"Where the hell is the stand-by?!"

"I'm going down!" X darted to the lift, slamming his hand on the button before he was even fully in. 

It was half way down when he jumped over the small safety railing, landing in a full out run when he stopped. A chill ran down his spine. Something was next to Axl lingering in the shadows. The yellow eyes glowed as sharp teeth pulled in a twisted grin. White hands covered in darkness snaked around the slumbering youth in a possessive gesture. A rat tail wiggled with glee, the mouth opening with a hissing breath. Whatever that thing was, every circuit in X's body told him to run, get away as fast as he possibly could. The shouts of the people above were drowned out as his breathing became labored and his ears were filled with the sound of his own frightened heart beat.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Zero came running past him, in his friend's wake the beast was gone. "Her head's about to be-" His hands grabbed the power cable and he yanked as a horrific scream ran through the hanger, the plug coming out of the V.T.P.; lights flickered on and Axl woke with a start. The room, was deathly silent.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Los Luceros

Revised

Chapter 3

The sounds of the wheels clamored over the tile floor, not allowed to be rolled as the gurney flew down the hallway. People were shouting to one another as empty eyes stared up at the ceiling, red trickled down pale lips. The woman's body would convulse every once in a while causing the back to arch, head to lull, and arms to contract.

"Rhythm, you stay with me," X patted the girl's face when her eyes started to drift close. "Stay with me girl."

There was a particularly bad convulsion that forced a burst of blood to burble up from her throat and escape into the air from her lips.

"How she's doing?" Axel shouted as he helped Zero clear the way for the medical team.

"We'll be lucky if she makes it," one of the lifesavers grunted taking vital signs. Unlike other reploids Rhythm was special, she was mostly flesh and blood, few parts of her was artificial. A genius had created her, and only that genius knew how to effectively help her. But since they had little to go off of, they were severely limited to what they could do.

"Why the hell were you asleep?!" Zero reached for the redhead only to have his chest pushed back by Soldjer who was in the middle of them.

"I told you I didn't mean to fall asleep!"

"This is all your fault you little, grrrah!"

Soldjer pushed back the blond hunter once more, before striking him with a punch to the cheek, "Cool it!!" She panted as she looked at the red hunter she hand just forced onto the ground. The little blonde was known for her beauty and kindness yes, but she was famous for being able to throwing punches that could dent a titanium wall. Once asked about how she did it she just said she put her weight into the hit.

She straightened out and rubbed her face, "Look, we're all upset. I'm pissed off because I was supposed to be there but I had something else to do. I asked Axel to take my place when he was supposed to be resting. If you want to be pissed off at someone take it out on me, not on someone who's been on non-stop missions for the last few weeks." She let out a sigh, taking off her helmet. A shaking hand ran through her hair as she tried to think. The last mission was hard on her and she barely had enough time to be repaired when the doors to the repair lab was thrown open. The color red dripped down onto the floor as bright lights flooded the room. She had never seen blood before, it was a beautiful color and that thought disturbed her. Why would she think something so morbid?

The doors to the repair lab finally opened, X came stepping out, his body splattered with dried blood. The three reploids outside the door watched him as he walked over to the window to watch the blue sky and green grass outside.

"E-...X?" Axel was the first to find his tongue.

"Axel," his voice was even but it was obvious by the way he stood that he was angry. "I would like to talk to you in private soon. But as it stands we need to make a few preparations."

"You don't mean," Soldjer felt a line crack down her heart.

"I mean, I'm not going to be up to working after this and Rhythm won't be up to full standards for a few more weeks," he turned. His face was void of worry all that was left was the remnants of being scared, "Zero will you accompany me to make a request for a small vacation? I believe all of us deserve one by now."

The red hunter picked himself off of the floor as if he had been sitting there for leisurely reasons the whole time. "Whatever," he patted the dirt off of himself while joining his friend down the hallway.

The yellow hunter gave a sigh of relief, and threw an arm around Axel giving him a squeeze, "She'll be okay... god I was scared there."

The redhead nodded in agreement.

"God," Rhythm shivered pulling the knitted sweater closer to her body. There were few human clothes left on the surface, making them a commodity. The expense of them always took up her paychecks just so she could have something to wear besides spandex and her armor. The small wardrobe that she owned only consisted of two outfits per-season and currently she was wearing both that was designed for winter. She was freezing cold and there was no wonder why. She was pale as a ghost from loosing so much blood, and there was no way to replace any of that but by letting it naturally refill itself. That meant a lot of sleep and to much orange juice for her liking.

"You okay?" Axel looked up at her from where his head was nestled on his knees. He was curled up on a chair next to her bedside.

She looked at him before closing her eyes and leaning back into the hard pillows that were propping her up, "Stop being an idiot."

"I'm not an idiot for asking if you're okay."

"But you are an idiot for thinking that this is your fault," She opened her eyes and looked at him with a half lidded gaze. Something about it made him feel... weary. "Kid, being part of Jack of Suicide means that you can die at any moment. I know that, you should to. Stop blaming yourself."

Axel tiredly blinked. The deep color of the blood, how it was almost as black as oil, he had heard that when a human bleeds that deep of a color that it was blood coming from somewhere deep in the internal organs. He always thought she was a normal reploid, how she leaked vital fluids and coolants; how she had metallic bones and electricity that sparked when she was torn open. But now he wasn't sure what she was. He had always thought it was weird how she was hyper sensitive to temperatures, the feel of her skin was more refined than any other artificial skin he had touched before. Before all of this he had thought that she wore human clothes for fashion sake, but now that he sat there and watched her shiver he knew it was not the case. What kind of secrets did she have hiding in the closet?

Dust filled the air from being kicked up. Tall tents colored with reds and golds stood above the crowd that shifted and moved like ocean waves. X kept a hand on Rhythm's back as she continued to shiver in the summer heat. She had more color than a few days ago, and she was finally released from the hospital ward in the repair lab. Soldjer had a hold of Zero's pony tail trying to pick out some cotton candy that she had accidentally got into his golden locks when she tripped. Axel had tried to keep his distance but it was kind of hard when Rhythm would come find you when you try to seek solitude. He was a bit glad that she did though. She would play some booth games with him, he got to choose the prize and he would give it to her. The small smile she would give him was fleeting and always hid away when any of their group approached the two.

It was the first day of their vacation, Soldjer had asked to come along due to not being able to get time off for even a recharge for a week. Signas was happy to oblige now that everything had calmed down for a time that was longer than two days. They were still on call, a precaution to make sure that the HQ would not be cut off from their best fighters. But Rhythm was still off detail, X under orders to keep an eye on her while they were out. Even though the brunette was apart of JoS (Jack of Suicide) she was still a vital person to the tenth unit, considering that they would not take orders from anyone else.

The fair was being held on the way to their destination and everyone was sick and tired of the van they had to take. Signas gave some sort of talk about how it was vital because it would help them unwind. Everyone else knew the truth though, he was a cheep-skate and didn't want to pay the additional fees to teleport them across the country.

"I'm tired of this place," Soldjer sighed finally finished getting the neon blue sugar candy from Zero's hair.

"There's to many people around," Rhythm agreed in her own way holding X's drink while the man braided her hair.

"I don't know. I kind of like to see that normal life can continue for some," X curled Rhythm's ridiculously long hair up in a coil and twist. He lanced the hair with a clean chopstick, he had nabbed from a food booth, to keep it in place.

"We all know the real reason why you're saying that X," Zero yawned around his hand. He was bored.

Axel barely heard their conversation as he looked around. He had played at every booth, was forbidden to come back to the shooting ones because he kept on winning, and he had already tasted his fill of fair foods... though he did want another elephant ear.

"Then... can we go in there?" He pointed off into the distance. His innocent green eyes on his companions interrupting their fun of teasing X.

Zero whistled, Soldjer giggled with glee at the possible prospect of going into such a place and X had a stand-off-ish look. Rhythm... well she was Rhythm and didn't like anything so it was natural for her to look either neutral or down right unpleased.

"Looks like we managed to save the best for last," Soldjer nudged Axel with her elbow. "Good spotting kid."

"Stop calling me kid."

"A horror fun house?" X had a grip on Rhythm's shoulders to keep her seated on the bench they were on. "I don't like the sound of it."

To Be Continued...


End file.
